This Whole World
1970 single by the Beach Boys
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"This Whole World" is a song by American rock band the Beach Boys from their 1970 album Sunflower. Written by Brian Wilson, the song features his brother Carl on lead vocals and is credited as a Beach Boys production. Earlier in the year, it had been included on the Warner Brothers promotional sampler album The Big Ball, and as a single, fronted with "Slip On Through", but did not make the U.S. or UK pop charts.
| "This Whole World" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||
| Single by the Beach Boys | ||||
| from the album Sunflower | ||||
| A-side | "Slip On Through" | |||
| Released | June 29, 1970 | |||
| Recorded | November 13, 1969 | |||
| Studio | Beach Boys Studio, Los Angeles | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 2:00 | |||
| Label | Brother/Reprise | |||
| Songwriter | Brian Wilson | |||
| Producer | The Beach Boys | |||
| The Beach Boys singles chronology | ||||
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| Licensed audio | ||||
| "This Whole World" on YouTube | ||||
| Audio sample | ||||
Background
Brian recalled writing "This Whole World" during one night at his Beverly Hills mansion when he was "stoned and confused".[2] He stated that the song was written in approximately 90 minutes at around 2:00 a.m. "I got up and went to my white Baldwin organ and I was playing around and thinking about the love of this whole world and that’s what inspired me to write the song."[3]
He also said of the song: "A very special vocal by Carl, and the lyrics are very spiritual. The melody and chord pattern rambles but it comes back to where it started."[4] Regarding the lyrics, he said, "It’s about love in general. ... That song came from deep down in me, from the feeling I had that the whole world should be about love. When I wrote that song I wanted to capture that idea.'"[5]
Composition
Biographer Mark Dillon characterized "This Whole World" as an "old-fashioned" rock song with "doo-wop trimmings" that contains an unorthodox structure and numerous key modulations.[2] Musician Scott McCaughey said that the structure followed an A/B/C/A/B/C pattern, however, "it seems to never repeat itself once. Every section has something new and different going on."[2] Musicologist Philip Lambert offered a summary of the song's exceptional "tonal transience":
First, a C-major phrase ends on IV, which becomes ♭VI in A, and then an A-major phrase ends on iii, which becomes a new i in C♯. This new phrase then moves through a diatonic bass descent from 1̂ to 5̂, eventually arriving at the key of B♭ using the same pivot relationship heard earlier between C and A (IV = ♭VI). Finally, the phrase in B♭ concludes on V, which is reinterpreted as IV to return to C major ...[6]
In 1978, Beach Boys supporting keyboardist Daryl Dragon commented on the song's various key changes: "From a harmony standpoint, I've never heard a song like that since I've been in pop music. I've never heard a song go through that many changes and come back."[7]
Recording
The track was recorded in one session on November 13, 1969, at Beach Boys Studio.[8] According to Brian: "I produced that record. I taught Carl the lead and the other guys the background vocal, especially the meditation part at the end: 'Om dot dit it.'"[5] The track originally ran "far longer" but was trimmed down.[9] Brian later commented, "I remember 'This Whole World' took a couple of days to record. It took a lot of hard work to get that one but I’m real happy with it."[10] Another version with an alternate ending was created for an Eastern Airlines commercial that the group briefly appeared in.[11]
Critical reception
Cover versions
- Brian produced a version of the song (which also incorporates "Star Light, Star Bright" in the bridge) for then-wife Marilyn's pop duo American Spring on their 1972 album Spring.
- Brian re-recorded the song for his 1995 soundtrack album I Just Wasn't Made for These Times.
- Dolour covered the song for the 2002 Brian tribute album Making God Smile: An Artists' Tribute to the Songs of Beach Boy Brian Wilson.
- The Lemon Twigs have covered the song live on numerous occasions.
Personnel
Sourced from Craig Slowinski.[13]
- The Beach Boys
- Brian Wilson – intro lead vocals, backing vocals, piano, production
- Bruce Johnston – backing vocals
- Mike Love – intro lead vocals, backing vocals
- Al Jardine – backing vocals
- Carl Wilson – lead vocals, acoustic guitar, production
- Dennis Wilson – backing vocals
- Additional musicians and production staff
- Jerry Cole – rhythm/lead guitar
- David Cohen – lead guitar
- Jack Conrad – bass
- Ray Pohlman – six-string bass
- Daryl Dragon – electric harpsichord, chimes, tubular bells
- Dennis Dragon – drums
- Gene Estes – chimes, glockenspiel
- Stephen Desper – engineer